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Pictured below: From left to right, Bean Voyage is Sohrab Amiri '16, Victor Zuniga ’17, Sunghee Tark ’16, Abhinav Khanal ’16 and Bryan Tipton '16.
New business venture by Earlhamites promotes greater market accessibility for Costa Rican coffee farmers
July 19, 2016
A new business venture by Earlhamites aims to collaborate with smallholder coffee farmers in Costa Rica to achieve their vision by facilitating greater market accessibility for their products.
Bean Voyage ships roasted coffee directly to its customers creating a greater connection between the consumers and the producers ensuring that a larger percentage of revenue can be returned to the farming communities who harvest coffee.
“Instead of the coffee having to travel from the farmer, to the cooperative, then exporter, and the commercial roaster, finally landing in the hands of the customers, Bean Voyage ensures that the coffee is directly reaching from the hands of the producers to the lips of the consumers.” says Sohrab Amiri ‘16.
The company launched in February as a joint venture between Amiri, Abhinav Khanal ’16, Sunghee Tark ’16, Bryan Tipton ’16 and Victor Zuniga ’17.
The idea took root while Amiri and Khanal were studying abroad in Spain and discussing ways to positively impact the world. Fittingly, their conversations were usually over coffee.
“While at Earlham, we had numerous opportunities to be involved in student leadership and activism,” Amiri says. “But we wanted to channel the energy towards doing something that can lead to sustainable development, while working in collaboration with local communities.”
As part of the launch, the team travelled to four different regions of Costa Rica this summer to establish relationships with smallholder farmers and begin sourcing coffee from the country. Smallholder farmers typically own small plots of land on which they grow one or two cash crops and rely almost exclusively on family labor. During the trips, the team was also able to learn more about the challenges facing smallholder farmers at the expense of larger cooperatives and coffee corporations, which currently process and distribute their products.
The team hopes to work with as many as seven smallholder farmers in its first year of operation, offering a wide range of coffee types and a variety of processing methods. The farms have a strong presence of women in the farming and management process, and no presence of child labor in the farms.
Pre-sale orders are being accepted now at www.beanvoyage.com. Orders will ship by September.
“We are humbled by the support and hospitality shown toward our project by the various communities that we have visited,” Amiri says. “Each farmer has welcomed the idea and are excited by the fact that our project is able to provide them with an income that is three times what they are currently receiving from cooperatives or larger corporations. We hope to do justice to their hard work by sharing their stories and raising awareness about the injustice that exists in the coffee industry.”
“This isn’t just about coffee,” Amiri says. “This is about advocating for fairer prices and supporting smallholder farmers to be the stewards of their own vision.”
— EC —
Earlham College, a national liberal arts college located in Richmond, Indiana, is a "College That Changes Lives." We expect our students to be fully present: to think rigorously, value directness and genuineness, and actively seek insights from differing perspectives. The values we practice at Earlham are rooted in centuries of Quaker tradition, but they also constitute the ideal toolkit for contemporary success. Earlham is one of only 40 national liberal arts colleges ranked among U.S. News and World Reports' "Great Schools at a Great Price."
Brian Zimmerman is director of media relations at Earlham College. He can be reached at 765-983-1256 and firstname.lastname@example.org.


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BBC News: How to get rid of 1m chocolate bars?
Cadbury has recalled more than a million chocolate bars over fears they could be contaminated with salmonella. But how do you dispose of that many bars? Water leaking from a pipe and splashing on to a factory conveyor belt has been blamed by Cadbury for a salmonella scare that has resulted in over a million chocolate bars being ordered off the shelves. The recall is one of the biggest in the company's history. It says the action is precautionary and the risk of getting salmonella is low, but bacteriologist Professor Hugh Pennington, of Aberdeen University, says there is no safe level for the bug in chocolate.
"The fat in chocolate actually preserves the salmonella from the normal intestinal defences, so you don't have to eat very many salmonellas to get infected," he says. The bug attacks the gut, causing severe sickness, vomiting and diarrhoea. Symptoms take up to three days to appear and victims can take months to recover. So the bars are being taken off the shelves and the problem Cadbury now faces is how to safely dispose of 250 tons of chocolate - the equivalent of 55 male elephants.
Burial, incineration and composting are three options. If they composted it and used it as fertiliser for dairy cow feed, it could go back around for another try at being chocolate.

domain: news


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Businesses in Orleans Parish will be asked to document customer information upon reopening
NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - Mayor Latoya Cantrell announced businesses will have to take down customers names and contact information as part of the city's "Safe Reopening" plan.
"There's definitely privacy concerns for our customers. We have no software developed to be able to keep all those records," Rouses Supermarkets CEO Donny Rouse said.
He says there's upwards of 18,000 patrons at their Rouses locations in New Orleans daily.
"We're not sure what the city plans to do with all that data and who's going to go through it and who's going to keep track of it either," Rouse said.
However, some customers say they're not too concerned about privacy.
"I've got Amazon Prime so everybody has my information for the most part, right?" Irvin Bell said.
He said he's ok with taking extra steps when going to businesses.
"I limit how much I go out. So I'm expecting to be out for as long as I need to be out to do what i have to do and to get back inside, so I'm patient," Bell said.
Some restaurant owners say they're worried the rules will further hurt their business.
"My biggest concern is people actually feeling that that's a little bit too invasive and not coming to restaurants in Orleans Parish or businesses in Orleans Parish because you have to sign in and give a bunch of information that they may not want to give," Katie's Restaurant Owner Scot Craig said.
He says they're already losing money by only offering take out.
"We're already struggling with losing business to jefferson parish right now because they have outdoor seating and we don't. So, I dont know. We have to abide by the laws, and that's what we'll do," Craig said.
The city sent out this statement when asked what information customers will need to provide, and how businesses will regulate: "The details are still being worked out regarding how contact tracing will be managed once we begin loosening stay home restrictions, but businesses will be expected to play a role and to have a plan in place to help track employees and clients in their space."
In the meantime, Rouse says employees are already faced with extra tasks like cleaning and stocking stores.
“We have great staffing in our stores right now, but we’re defintely going to need to come up with a different plan and hire additional people to keep track of that,” Rouse said.
Copyright 2020 WVUE. All rights reserved.


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Genderless clothing is the future of baby & kids fashion.
Gender-neutral trends in adult fashion have spilled into the world of baby and children’s clothing, heralding a more sustainable era for the industry. Sunshine Coast mumpreneur and owner of baby brand ‘Angus the Label’ Emma Kenney says a shift in customer preferences towards genderless and unisex baby and kids’ clothing has been gathering pace. “Genderless clothing is the future of kids' fashion and lends perfectly to a lifestyle of minimalism and sustainability,” said Emma. “Without being cut or embellished to be stereotypically boyish or girlish, genderless clothing can be worn by multiple siblings, handed down easily, and is suitable for almost every occasion.” Coolum Beach-based Emma established ‘Angus the Label’ a year and a half ago, just after the birth of her first son, Angus. The brand specialises in ethically-produced, genderless and unisex clothing, with some pieces designed to adjust to more gender-specific fits if desired. “Angus The Label really has taken neutral baby clothing to the next level,” said Emma. “Take our striped flare overalls, for example; when the straps are crossed at the back, the overalls immediately look more girly. “The cream ribbed knit leggings can be paired with more typically boyish or girly colours to elevate the look. “The range also includes pieces that are more typically girly or boyish, but we are seeing that genderless clothing is the future of baby and kids’ clothing.”


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New Delhi: Coffee, for most people around the globe, is an essential apparatus to help kickstart the day. It is a cup for all seasons and without their favourite brew, the day seems incomplete.
Known for its high caffeine content, coffee has often been on the list of 'things to avoid' given to us by dieticians and health and fitness experts.
However, many studies in the past have shown coffee to contain numerous health benefits like weight loss, improvement in physical performance, reduction in risk of diabetes, protection from Alzheimer's and dementia, among others.
Now, US researchers have come up with some more good news for coffee lovers by concluding that drinking coffee could lead to a longer life!
As per the study, which included the participation of more than 180,000 volunteers, researchers found that people who drank regular or decaffeinated coffee experienced health benefits, such as increased longevity.
The researchers report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that people who consumed a cup of coffee a day were 12 percent less likely to die earlier compared to those who didn't drink coffee. This association was even stronger for those who drank two to three cups a day – 18 percent reduced chance of death.
Lower mortality was present regardless of whether people drank regular or decaffeinated coffee, suggesting the association is not tied to caffeine.
Claimed to be the largest of its kind, the study had ethnically diverse participants who included African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Latinos and whites. "Such investigations are important because lifestyle patterns and disease risks can vary substantially across racial and ethnic backgrounds, and findings in one group may not necessarily apply to others."
Since the association (between coffee drinking and longer life) was seen in four different ethnicities, it is safe to say the results apply to other groups, the authors claim. "Seeing a similar pattern across four different populations gives stronger biological backing to the argument that coffee is good for you whether you are white, African-American, Latino or Asian."
According to the authors, although this study does not show what chemicals in coffee may have this beneficial effect, it is clear that coffee "can be incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle".
(With IANS inputs)


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accountingWEB: One in four FTSE 350 companies switch auditor
Nov 28, 2014 8:08:00 AM
Companies change many things regularly, but are usually reluctant to change their auditor. Proxima's research, featured in accountingWEB, highlights a growing trend of FTSE 350 companies tendering their audit.
Click here to read the full article


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SailPoint Technologies Holdings Inc. News
Nasdaq 19,000, Apple and Microsoft at $3 Trillion and Metaverse Mania
Nasdaq 19,000, Apple and Microsoft market caps above $3 trillion, and metaverse mania: Wedbush's Dan Ives and his team give their top 10 tech predictions for 2022.
Ives: Market Selloff is 'Golden Opportunity' for Tech Stocks
'We view [the move] as a clear buying opportunity, given our bullish view of the tech sector set up into 2022,' said Wedbush's Dan Ives.
Mad Money Lightning Round: Chevron, Nokia, Pioneer Natural Resources
Jim Cramer’s bullish on Nokia, and Chevron, but he's taking a pass on Boston Omaha and WD-40.
Cramer's Mad Money Recap: Lordstown Motors, Intuit, Costco
Jim Cramer's got your game plan for a busy week ahead for earnings reports.
Tech Stocks Roundup: Jim Cramer on Microsoft, Okta, Nvidia
Check out the latest news and performance numbers from the top technology stocks, including Microsoft, PayPal, Shopify, and more.
Stock Market Today With Jim Cramer: How to Trade Okta
Jim Cramer shares stock-market news, including Okta and its plans to take on CyberArk and SailPoint, the impact of chip shortage on Apple and Constellation Brands.
Reopening Plays: Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap (Monday 3/1/21)
Jim Cramers sifts through this relentless run in the reopening plays to find the less-obvious companies poised for profit.
McAfee Tops Estimates on Strong Consumer Business Growth
Company says consumer segment revenue grew 23% in the fourth quarter as people are ‘living more of their lives online.’
SolarWinds Hack a 'Gamechanger' for Cyber Security: Wedbush
'The attack highlights a massive TAM [total addressable market] for cyber security,' says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives.
Fed Inflation Gauge Slowed Again in October, Supporting Dovish Powell
Further slowing in the Fed's preferred inflation gauge is adding heft to Chairman Jerome Powell's signals of smaller rate hikes.
Costco Stock Slides On Muted November Sales Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
Costco's slowing November sales growth echoes a warning on changing spending habits from Target.
Five Below Stock Surges On Q3 Earnings Beat, Improving Sales Trends
"We're really off to a very solid start to the quarter. It's in line with our forecast, and we see no reason for that to stop," said CEO Joel Anderson.
Dollar General Stock Slumps As Rising Costs Clip Q3 Earnings, 2022 Outlook
"We believe the majority of these and other gross margin pressures are largely temporary, and we are confident in our plans to drive greater supply chain efficiencies moving forward,' said CEO Jeff Owen.


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Apple yesterday said it sold a record 74.5 million iPhones in the December quarter, a record that bested the old by a whopping 24 million — close to the entire quarter’s sales in April-June 2012. Featured Resource. Presented by Tibco Software.
RPT-Apple takes high road in China smartphone standoff with XiaomiReuters
What’s New Now – Why Apple’s Killing ItPC Magazine
Apple joins Elvis and McDonald’s in the ‘billion sold’ clubMarketWatch
Los Angeles Times -Wall Street Journal -Sydney Morning Herald
all 2,018 news articles …read more


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ANA and United Airlines have expanded the cargo Joint Venture on transpacific routes include shipments from Japan to Mexico.
This program will offer the customers more destinations at shorter lead time with the joint network of 377 nonstop flights a week to 16 destinations and further flight and truck connections within Japan, U.S. and Canada and now Mexico. ANA's nonstop daily flight from Narita to Mexico City will also become available for both customers.
Joint sales and enhanced operation of shipments originating in Japan bound for the US and Canada was implemented in July 2016 and shipments from the U.S. and Canada to Japan have been available to customers since February 2018. The scope will continue to expand for applicable countries and products.


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(Ping! Zine Web Hosting Magazine) – Popular mobile website creator goMobi has its services set to further impact the UK market. Recently, the company revealed that it had been approved by Google as part of the company’s GetMo program, the web giant’s recently launched mobile initiative.
It’s expected that GoMobi’s inclusion by Google will have a larger marketing impact. Discussing the matter in a press release, dotMobi COO Eileen O’Sullivan said her company was “delighted to join Google’s GetMo initiative to further promote adoption of the mobile Web.”
“We’ve been in mobile Web since its beginning, so we understand websites need to deliver a local, personal and mobile-specific experience to customers. Mobile is not desktop made smaller. It’s a different medium and needs a different approach. We believe goMobi offers the best option to customers,” O’Sullivan commented.
The mobile site creation tool is currently provided for in the United Kingdom through web hosting provider Easyspace. Businesses in the country can get a 40% discount on the platform. The news follows an announcement by the company last month that web host Blacknight would begin offering goMobi.
The platform provides for features including video optimization, forms, shopping carts, image galleries and more. For more information on GoMobi, visit: http://gomobi.info/


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British designers has come up this TRON themed suite at famous IceHotel above the Arctic Circle in Sweden.
Ben Rousseau and Ian Douglas–Jones, a designer and an architect were hired to create TRON-inspired art suite for the Icehotel for this winter. The electric blue Tron-inspired lighting scheme is created by cutting grooves into the ice, after they inserted EL wires inside ice cubes. It took almost 13 days to complete this unique suite at the IceHotel, "Legacy Of The River", is part of Ben Rousseau and Ian Douglas–Jones campaign to launch a new line of illuminated furniture and interiors products due out early 2011. [extreme-design] via [inhabitat]


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The promo, designed to reward the company’s loyal customers, is to commence on March 26 and end on April 6.
The LPG Manager of Techno Oil, Mr Eugene Osimiri, announced the bonanza while unveiling the company’s Easter Promo Package at a ceremony in Lagos on Sunday.
The promo, anchored on the company’s flagship 12.5kg TechnoGas cylinders, is a ‘’humble way of giving back to our customers and to show that we care,’’ Osimiri stated.
He said that during the period of the promo, the product would be sold at a “non resistible discounted price’’.
Osimiri, while congratulating Christians on a successful Lent season, urged Techno Oil’s customers nationwide to take advantage of the promo to buy the TechnoGas 12.5kg cylinders.
It will be recalled that Techno Oil in its drive to sustain its Going Green Revolution, embarked on an advocacy campaign for the use of LPG at homes, rather than using kerosene and firewood.
Osimiri said that shifting to cooking gas would help to save scarce foreign exchange hitherto, expended on kerosene importation.
He said that collaboration with local energy companies to promote the use of cooking gas would also give a boost to the Local Content Initiative of the Federal Government.
The manager, who lamented the low level consumption of LPG in Nigeria compared to other West African countries, said that drastic measures needed to be put in place to move Nigerians away from the deep-rooted apathy on use of LPG.
He noted that Techno Oil had over the years, upgraded its bottling plants, infrastructure and cylinder injection facilities to stimulate domestic consumption of LPG.
Osimiri said that Techno Oil had distributed over 20,000 units of 3kg, 5kg, 6kg, and 12.5kg as well as the 50kg LPG bottles at discounted prices to Nigerian families in recent months.
He urged government to embark on an enlightenment campaign to educate the populace on the need for households to embrace cooking gas, stressing the need for government to provide incentives to oil and gas companies to intensify LPG manufacturing in Nigeria. *NAN


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8th May 2017 18:00
Driven by the new wave of digital creativity, content creators and media technologists are increasingly exploring novel new formats such as virtual reality and gaming. Last year’s Bjork Digital exhibition demonstrated both the creative potential and the sharp economics of curating an art exhibit that combined extraordinary creativity with minimal installation costs. On the gaming front Pokémon Go astounded the market with its geolocation augmented reality technology.
Veteran of Gaming and Animation John Sanderson from Pitstop Productions, Virtual Reality technology designer and former BBC engineer Julian Williams from WizDish and former Sky, BBC and ITV director and cameraman John Twycross now senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes will consider what these new technologies can offer to TV and Film Production, ask whether content creators might consider them ahead of traditional TV and Film and most importantly whether consumers will really engage with these technologies will they be just another fad? We look forward to seeing you there! This event is free of charge for OTM members with a small charge for non-members and will be held in the centre of Oxford at The Story Museum, 42 Pembroke St, OX1 1BP. Click here for directions. 6.00pm – Event Opens, Networking, Coffee & Refreshments Buffet food and drinks will be available after the event 9pm – Close
For details, link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/may-networking-event-the-gaming-of-virtual-reality-tickets-33813761872


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If you find it hard to believe that the head of one of the largest game development companies in the world would come out and label his critics as “a bunch of nerds angry about the ending of Mass Effect 3,” there’s a reason: He didn’t actually say it.
But that is what Andrew Bridgman, editor of the gaming humor site Dorkly, wishes Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore would have said yesterday, after EA was named “Worst Company in America” for a second year in row by the Consumerist blog.
“It would have been funny to just see a company come out and drop the pleasant, professional demeanor and just call the bullsh*t,” Bridgman said.
So that’s exactly what Bridgman decided to do for EA. After it was announced Tuesday that EA once again “won” Consumerist’s March Madness-style poll to determine the least popular brand in the country, beating out Bank of America by a whopping 78 percent in the final vote, Bridgman decided to deliver his own response. Written as an EA press release, the Dorkly editor’s missive took gamers to task for having massively misplaced priorities.
“I’m not a fan of EA and I’m not defending them, but it’s pretty ridiculous to say that they’re the worst company,” Bridgman told The Daily Dot. “There’s a pretty huge gap between EA and Bank of America. EA isn’t being sued for billions of dollars over foreclosures.”
EA’s actual, much more restrained response was posted on the company’s website Tuesday.
Bridgman’s fully aware of EA’s shortcomings (he tried to play SimCity 5 at launch just like the rest of us). But when stacked up against banks that tanked the U.S. economy , a cruise line that left passengers stranded in their own feces and an oil company that’s currently cleaning up a major spill in Arkansas, it’s hard to justify calling EA the worst of the worst.
“Releasing a bad SimCity game with iffy support is far more horrible than poisoning entire communities’ groundwater or spilling 300,000 gallons of crude oil,” the Dorkly statement sarcastically reads.
But not everyone is getting the joke. Despite appearing as a clearly photoshopped JPEG in Typewriter font, many are still reacting to the post as if it were real.
“I still don’t like EA, but damn that was a sick burn,” writes one anonymous poster on a Tumblr reblogging of the statement.
Another user on 4Chan, which helped lead the effort to make EA the Worst Company in America by encouraging disgruntled gamers to swamp the poll, tore the statement to shreds, seeming to think it was legitimate.
“No wonder everyone hates you,” the user writes. “This is the way you treat the customers who buy your sh*tty games.”
A quick scan of responses to the piece on Twitter shows these commenters aren’t alone. Most of the tweets about the piece praise EA for its bold response.
Obviously this isn’t the first time the Internet has missed the boat on a piece of satire. But Bridgman said he was honestly surprised that people didn’t get it.
“I just can’t believe anyone on the internet still trusts anything,” he said. “I think a lot of people just wanted it to be real. Maybe if I had used more cursing more people would have realized it was a joke.”
Photo by Pewt/Flickr


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Tesco calls on Mandate to accept the outcome of the Labour Court
Tesco Ireland has called on Mandate to accept the Labour Court’s Recommendation on changes to pre-1996 terms and conditions which affects less than 280 people out of a 14,500 strong workforce and follows 12 months of negotiations on the compensation for this change.
There is an onus on Mandate to abide by the outcomes of the Labour Court and we are shocked that Mandate has rejected the Recommendation which the Union had sought. Mandate are misguiding our colleagues by suggesting that there are other alternatives to the Labour Court Recommendation. Our business must be able to meet the needs of our customers. Tesco is the only employer in the food retail sector to recognise trade unions, offering above market rates of pay, conditions, benefits and careers. We operate in an intensely competitive market against non-unionised retailers.
Tesco has always accepted Labour Court Recommendations on issues covered by the collective agreement and calls on Mandate to do so now. Mandate’s rejection of the Recommendation has come despite the Court offering a clear and generous resolution.
The Labour Court Recommendation was beyond what we believed was affordable but in the spirit of reaching agreement and re-positioning our business in the challenging retail market, Tesco accepted it. The Recommendation followed a year of discussions including hundreds of hours in the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court.
From the outset of discussions over a year ago, we were clear on the need to make this change: the pre-1996 terms and conditions were agreed over 21 years ago before late nights, Sunday openings and online shopping. We want to improve our customer service but these terms are no longer suitable as we have too many people working during the earlier quieter times of the week and this also creates unfairness between colleagues. We have always said that we will compensate colleagues for this change.
Tesco is calling on Mandate to accept the Labour Court Recommendation as we have now exhausted the Industrial Relations mechanisms of the State.
Further background information:
Labour Court Recommendation
Rate of pay is protected (90% of affected colleagues will see an increase in their rate of pay)
Premiums paid in line with everyone else
Pay increases implemented (now at 4%) as part of the Recommendation, as lump sum or rate increase
5% share bonus has been protected
2/3 guaranteed overtime is protected
Sundays continue to be voluntary
Partial flexibility 2 days out of 5 on 5/6
In event of loss of income, compensation paid at 2 times or 2.5 times annual loss depending on option
Goodwill gesture of €2,000 or €3,000 depending on option to all affected colleagues
OR Voluntary redundancy 5 weeks per year uncapped (average pay out to date is €105,000)


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- Book a Test
- About Us
The HbbTV Association has announced the publication of a new version of the HbbTV Conformance Test Suite.
The new version is called v2020-1 and the first major release of the Test Suite in 2020. It contains 2,586 test cases in total, including 177 for the new features in HbbTV specification v2.0.2. This is an increase of 128 tests over the previous version v2019-3 of the Test Suite.
The Association notes that the HbbTV Conformance Test Suite is an important tool for device manufacturers to verify compliance of their products with the most current HbbTV specifications and their new features. It is available through one of the registered HbbTV test centres and, as a convenience, to HbbTV members for use in their own facilities.
Commenting on the development, Vincent Grivet, chair of the HbbTV Association, said: “As all business organisations, our members and the HbbTV Association are affected by the coronavirus crisis. For instance, we just decided that our April 2020 general assembly will be held electronically without any physical gathering, and, with a lot of regrets, we have cancelled our November 2020 symposium.
“But thanks to the continued engagement of our members and partners through intensified home-working and e-communications, HbbTV work continues to the highest possible extent. We try to protect future product availability and compliance, encouraged by first signs that areas of the world, which play an important role in the TV supply chain, seem to start recovering and going back to normal operations.
“In this context, the publication of this new release of our Test Suite is an important element in our attempt to maintain business continuity and to prepare for the time after the crisis.”


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The Tamil Nadu government on Friday has issued orders to open state government-run TASMAC (liquor) shops from Saturday after the Supreme Court, eariler in the day, stayed the Madras High Court order for the closure of these shops.
According to the order, the liquor shops will be open from 10 am to 5 pm in the state, except Chennai, Thiruvallur, malls and containment zones. Also, the order stated that a token system needs to be followed and only 500 tokens will be issued per day.
Seven different colour coded tokens, that specify the time and day of the week were ready for distribution to consumers to buy liquor at the TASMAC (liquor) shops, reported PTI.
As per the new arrangement, those seeking to buy liquor will have to get token first and only then they could make the purchase on the date and time specified, said an office-bearer of a TASMAC workers association.
"Preparations for bringing out the tokens in seven colours including blue, green, navy blue, and violent began sufficiently in advance and tokens would be sent to all the outlets for distribution...approximately 500 persons will get the tokens on an average per day," said general secretary of TASMAC Workers Association D Dhanasekaran.
Meanwhile, five people died due to the virus in Tamil Nadu on Friday while 434 tested positive, taking the number of COVID-19 cases past the 10,000 mark, the state health department said.
Of the 434 fresh cases, 49 are passengers who arrived from overseas and other states. The total number of people who have tested positive for the virus till date is 10,108, the bulletin said.
(With PTI inputs)


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BEIJING – China's threat to raise tariffs on U.S. exports could be a disaster for American soybean farmers but a boon to their Brazilian and Argentine competitors, European aerospace companies and Japanese whiskey distillers. Regulators picked products China can get elsewhere when they made a $50 billion list including soybeans and small aircraft for possible retaliation in a trade spat with Washington. That should help minimize China's losses if U.S. President Donald Trump goes ahead with a planned tariff hike and Beijing responds, said economist Lu Feng at Peking University's School of National Development. "Compared with the U.S. list, which focuses on high-tech, China's list is more diversified," said Lu. "The impact to China's overall economy is under control." The two sides have not set a date for raising duties.
Drone point of view of a Tractor spraying on a cultivated field. What does the future hold for machine learning/AI within the agricultural sector? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. From the food we eat to the clothing we wear and the gasoline in millions of cars, agriculture touches our daily existence like few other industries. This year alone, we've experienced several major supply shocks--including massive flooding in the American Midwest, a trade war, and the outbreak of serious crop and animal diseases in China--all of which highlight just how unpredictable the system is. Fortunately, we've also reached the point where there are nearly infinite amounts of data available to understand and forecast the complex interplay between global agricultural markets.
BEIJING – Prospects appear to have brightened for a preliminary breakthrough in the U.S.-China trade war after the two sides agreed to reduce some punitive tariffs on each other's goods as part of an initial agreement. A Chinese spokesman announced the development Thursday as talks on ending the trade war progressed -- a development that triggered a rally in U.S. stock markets. The agreement came during talks aimed at working out details of a "Phase 1" deal that was announced Oct. 12. Financial markets had been rattled by reports that China was pushing for tariffs to be lifted, which posed the prospect of a breakdown in talks. Negotiators agreed to a "phased cancellation" of tariff hikes if talks progress, said a Commerce Ministry spokesman, Gao Feng.
China is expected to retaliate against President Trump's tariffs with measures of its own. As a major importer of America's soybeans, the sector is one predicted target. China is expected to retaliate against President Trump's tariffs with measures of its own. As a major importer of America's soybeans, the sector is one predicted target. "Trade wars are good, and easy to win," President Trump tweeted earlier this month after announcing heavy tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.


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Remember Christine Jiaxin Lee?
The girl whose bank accidentally increased her overdraft limit to £2.3 million? How could you not.
For four years, she was living the high life – spending an incredible £1.7 million in less than a year, with lots of the money going on designer handbags.
Of course, it all came crashing down when the bank noticed
But it turns out not all the money went on handbags. How do we know? Because the entire list of her spending was recently released by Federal Circuit Court.
Sure, £1.7 million seems like a lot of money to spend in four years, but considering she managed to spend $220,200 (£152,800) at Christian Dior in just one day, it’s totally understandable.


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Just three days left to invest in village post office
Villagers have just three days left to raise the necessary funds to bid for the post office and shop in Findon.
If successful, the post office and shop will be run as a community venture for the benefit of the village.
Anyone is invited to invest in this venture by buying a share at £1,000, which will be backed by the value of the property.
The deadline to invest is on Wednesday (June 21, 2017).
Almost 50 per cent of funds have been raised so far.


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Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announced that it completed its previously announced $1.1 billion acquisition of Intersect ENT (Nasdaq:XENT).
Fridley, Minnesota-based Medtronic announced in August 2021 that it would acquire all outstanding shares of the Menlo Park, Calif.-based sinus implant maker for $28.25 per share in an all-cash transaction.
As a result of the transaction, Medtronic acquires Intersect ENT’s Propel and Sinuva drug-eluting sinus implant product lines and technology, intellectual property and the company’s Menlo Park facility. Intersect ENT’s employees also will join Medtronic, according to a news release.
Medtronic said that former Intersect ENT brand Fiagon was divested simultaneously at close, with its Cube and VenSure products not included in the acquisition. Earlier this week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed order to require Medtronic to sell a subsidiary of Intersect ENT within 10 days of the transactio…


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When Jeff Bezos founded an online bookseller named Amazon in 1994, he said the question that he was asked most frequently was, “What’s the internet?”
Bezos answered by building Amazon into a $1.7 trillion behemoth that sold so many different items online it became known as “the everything store.” In the process, he upended the retail industry, turned Amazon into a logistics giant, and expanded into cloud computing, streaming entertainment and artificial intelligence-powered devices. For a time, he was the world’s richest person.
On Tuesday, Bezos, 57, said his run at the top of the Seattle-based company was over.
As Amazon reported its latest set of blockbuster financial results, Bezos said he planned to hand over the reins this summer and transition into the role of executive chairman. Andy Jassy, 53, CEO of Amazon’s cloud computing division, will be promoted to run the entire company. The change will be effective in the third quarter, which starts in July.
“As much as I still tap dance into the office, I’m excited about this transition,” Bezos wrote in an email to Amazon’s employees. As executive chairman, he said, he intends “to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives.”
The changing of the guard is set to ripple out beyond Amazon, which Bezos has personified for more than two decades. His impact on corporate America and his remaking of the way that goods are sold turned him into one of the world’s most influential technology and business leaders, as well known as the founders of Apple and Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Bezos’ personal wealth also soared to $188 billion, which was surpassed only last month by Elon Musk.


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There are analysts out there that claim the PayPal-bitcoin relationship isn’t anything special. Now that they are more familiar with the fine print associated with the relationship, they are questioning just how far bitcoin can go with it. However, the sentiment also appears to be that even though the arrangement may not be perfect, PayPal is the best option for bitcoin right now.
PayPal May Not Be Perfect, but It Is Helping
According to a press release issued by PayPal, there are no fees for selling or buying bitcoin through the firm through December 31 of this year. This means that users will have until the last day of 2020 to take advantage of these circumstances. In addition, there are no fees for holding crypto in a PayPal account.
The release states:
Consumers will be able to instantly convert their selected cryptocurrency balance to fiat currency, with certainty of value and no incremental fees. PayPal merchants will have no additional integrations or fees, as all transactions will be settled with fiat currency at their current PayPal rates.
The news led to some doubt, particular from people at Satoshi Labs, who were quick to point out that PayPal has never been a fan of bitcoin, and that permitting bitcoin payments right now was simply an attempt to keep the company relevant. A blog post for the company reads:
Until very recently, PayPal was anti-crypto. Writing in 2018, ex-CEO Bill Harris called bitcoin ‘the greatest scam ever,’ so what’s changed? When a household brand like PayPal starts selling bitcoin, it’s probably not because they want to spur healthy adoption. If millions of newcomers are onboarded to bitcoin by PayPal, there could be a serious information gap that jeopardizes their experience and undermines key principles of cryptocurrency. Time after time, exchanges have lost user funds, often leaving them with no recourse.
The blog garnered agreement from the likes of Peter Smith, the CEO of Blockchain.com. In a recent statement, he referred to the plan as “highly centralized and inflexible” on PayPal’s part. He says:
Crypto is about financial freedom. It’s modern money that anyone anywhere can truly control. While we’re excited to see a new audience gain access, a non-custodial approach limits opportunity to self-custody your crypto or transact freely.
Things Might Be Easier Now
Despite such a high level of doubt from analysts, it cannot be denied that despite certain centralized conditions, the company is opening up the bitcoin door for many people that would otherwise never have gained access or learned how to use it.
A survey shows that more than half of the world’s smartphone owners have downloaded the PayPal app onto their devices. This provides a clear pathway. In addition, roughly 15 percent of the world’s PayPal customers say they are looking to purchase crypto in the coming months. This will also bring their dreams closer to reality.


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Are The Beatles finally ready to make a magical mystery tour into the world of online music?
A "lost" track recorded by the band in 1967 and performed only once in public could finally be released, Paul McCartney told the BBC in an interview, according to a report Sunday in The Observer newspaper. The 14-minute "Carnival of Light" was never released because it was considered too "adventurous," McCartney said.
McCartney said he has the master recording and wants the public to hear it.
"I like it because it's The Beatles free, going off piste," he said in the interview. "The time has come for it to get its moment."
McCartney said he lobbied to get the track included with the album Anthology when the exhaustive compilation was released in 1995, but the idea was vetoed.
Of course, the Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison would still need to approve of the track's release.
Short of releasing another compilation that goes over the same territory as Anthology, an online release may be the song's only commercial avenue.
The band, which has been fiercely resistant to having its music made available for purchase online, has been the subject of frequent rumors that it was ready to make the leap. The Beatles became one of the last high-profile digital music holdouts after Led Zeppelin announced late last year that it would make its catalog available for purchase online.


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Sales Tax Holiday Keeps Money in Pockets of Texas Families
Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, August 1, 2000
Because cutting taxes is one of my top priorities, I'm happy to announce that this year's sales tax holiday will run from Aug. 4-6 and that I was able to expand the holiday to include layaway items.
For the second year in a row, no state or local sales tax will be charged on most clothing and footwear priced under $100. And due to an administrative change I was delighted to make, eligible clothing and shoes placed in layaway during the sales tax holiday may be taken out at a later date tax-free. As a mama and a grandmama, I know this will be beneficial. This will allow hardÄworking Texas families with limited budgets to pay for their purchases a little bit at a time and still receive the tax break.
Although the sales tax holiday is timed to help families outfit their children for school, the tax break is not limited to children's clothes and shoes. The sales tax holiday is an ideal time for Texans of all ages to stock up on shoes and clothing, including work uniforms.
Last year, Texas families spent more than $400 million on tax-exempt clothes and shoes during the initial sales tax holiday, saving more than $32 million in sales taxes. Retailers statewide reported crowds comparable to the Christmas shopping season. Shoppers bought twice as much as in a typical threeÄday weekend in August. My office projects that, during this year's holiday, families will save more than $30 million in state sales taxes and $7 million in local sales taxes.
In addition to benefiting Texas families, the sales tax holiday also positively effects city and state economies. In 1999, even though the state chose to provide families with a $32 million tax cut during the first tax holiday, overall sales tax revenues for the year rose to a record $13 billion. City sales tax rebates for the year increased 7.1 percent to $3.5 billion as many local officials saw an increase in their local economic activity.
This year local governments had the opportunity to opt out of the sales tax holiday. Only one local government in the entire state voted not to participate. Other cities examined this issue and concluded that the overall economic benefit of the holiday outweighed the loss of sales tax revenue from selected clothing and shoes.
Cutting taxes is one of my 10 principles for Texas in the 21st century. The tax burden on working families is too high across our nation and Texas' sales tax holiday certainly offers muchÄneeded tax relief for Texans.
We have opportunities, though, to do more to relieve the tax burden. For example, I want to extend the holiday for a longer period of time and cover more items like backpacks and fabric, buttons and zippers so that mamas who make the clothes for their kiddos can also benefit from this tax break. These changes will take legislative action and I'm going to recommend this to the state Legislature when it convenes in January.
Going back to school is a time of adjustment in the lives of many Texas families. The sales tax holiday, hopefully, lessens the need for budget adjustments, too.
For a complete listing of taxÄexempt items, check the Comptroller's Web site at www.window.state.tx.us or call the tax assistance hotline at 1-800-252-5555.


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Get your hopes up about that Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 slider that surfaced over the weekend? Well, then we're afraid we've got a bit of bad news. According to Mobile Review's Eldar Murtazin, it's just an "old prototype that was canceled last year." As we mentioned previously, however, that shouldn't exactly come as a huge surprise, considering that Sony Ericsson has repeatedly stated that a move to Windows Phone 7 is highly unlikely given the company's commitment to Android, and given the fact that we've already heard of a since-scrapped WP7 prototype that sounds suspiciously like the one pictured above.
Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 device said to be just an 'old prototype'
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Android Q Beta brings Screen Recording
- Author: Terrell Bush Mar 16, 2019,
Mar 16, 2019, 0:57
Call Screen will answer the phone when an unknown caller rings and communicate with the caller for you.
Up until now, the feature has only been available for users in the United States, but as of today, a beta version is rolling out to Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 2 owners in Canada. Windows phone users may remember that from the before-times, but now Google is bringing it to default Android.
Better late than never, Google has confirmed that improved control over location tracking is one of several new privacy features in the next version of its mobile OS, Android Q, due to appear later this year. Well, the Android Q beta arrived as a first build and we took it for a quick spin.
Have fun playing around with the new gestures in Android Q!
Google is further improving its permissions model with Android Q to make it more privacy-friendly.
If you own a Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel and Pixel 3 XL you can access this update now. This ADB command will make it so you can swipe the pill to the left to go back (making the back button redundant), swipe down to pull down the notification panel (super useful!), and lastly retain the Android Pie recent apps scrolling.
Starting with Android Q, app developers can access depth information - the XMP (a metadata standard for files) data containing depth information and depth and confidence data (map containing details of distance of objects from the camera lens) from supported hardware cameras - along with the final compressed JPEG file of the photos captured on your phone.
Android Q also gives you more control over apps and what they can access.
Google has just released the developer beta for Q, which doesn't even have a name yet.
Despite the lack of an official confirmation about the company's next-generation Pixel phones including the Pixel 3 Lite, which is slated to hit the store shelves ahead of Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, the rumor mill is churning all sorts of speculations around the company's next-generation Pixel phablet, which has surfaced online in the form of a new leak.
If you're frequently bothered by telemarketers and robot callers, Android Q wants to help with its screen feature.
The Beta 1 is only available for Pixel Devices.
The beta is aimed at developers rather than normal users, but that doesn't mean you can't install it and have a poke around anyway. Considering HMD's close relationship with Google, it's very likely that Nokia smartphones will be a part of the beta program.


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The Zhoe Factory kicks off back-to-school preparation with 120 students from Batu Pahat, Johor receiving bags, shoes, and socks
As we enter the school holidays, most families think of going on vacation and spending time with their loved ones, but for families with children already in school, preparations for the start of the next school term is at the back of their heads too.
[expander_maker id=”2″ more=”Read more” less=”Read less”]Read More
This year, The Zhoe Factory in collaboration with the Education Exco office, which is chaired by State Assemblyman Aminolhuda Hassan kicks off the back-to-school preparations by handing over bags, shoes, and socks to 120 students from Batu Pahat, Johor comprising of over 10 primary schools and 1 secondary school.
“We appreciate the support and compassion shown by the private sector players such as The Zhoe Factory in their efforts to help the needy and underprivileged families prepare for something as important as school and education,” expressed Aminolhuda.
He added, “This is not a gesture for publicity or showing off. In a way, it encourages these children to go to school and improve their self-esteem.”
Group CEO of The Zhoe Factory, Dato’ Fauzi Johan said that this is part of their ongoing annual CSR activity, which is to give back to the community. “We target to help as many as we can this year and hoping to reach at least 1,000 children,” he added.
The Zhoe Factory is an apparel outlet which offers good quality products such as clothing, footwear, accessories, and more at affordable prices. Now with already two outlets in Johor, one at The Mall Midvalley Southkey, and the second at Toppen Shopping Centre, The Zhoe Factory welcomes families to come and shop for their back-to-school preparation to enjoy fantastic package discounts.


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According to the auto-tech website Electrek, ever since Musk announced that he will sell 10 per cent of his stake in Tesla, the company's stock has been suffering.
Earlier this week, it lost the incredible gains it made following the announcement that Hertz would be buying 100,000 Model 3 vehicles, which pushed Tesla's stock to over $1 trillion for the first time.
But it has had a reversal. Tesla's stock surged by 7 per cent, which is wild for a company that valuable. The stock has now settled past $1,000 a share, which gives it back a market capitalisation of over $1 trillion, the report said on Wednesday.
The recent surge happened on a slow news day, and the main new information that contributed to the price increase appears to be Musk saying that he believes he sold enough shares to satisfy his statement that he would sell 10 per cent of his Tesla stocks.
In Tesla's last filing, the company disclosed that Musk still has 2,637,455 stock options to exercise as part of the plan set in September. However, it sounds like Musk won't be selling any additional shares other than what was part of his compensation plan, as per the report.
- Front Page
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- FM on Adani Row: Regulators to Take Appropriate Action
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said financial market regulators will do what is “appropriate” on matters related to the Adani Group, which has been targeted by short seller Hindenburg Research.Headcount Falls in Q3 as Tech Hiring Frenzy Gets Real
The top seven IT services exporters listed in India together posted a fall in headcount as on December 31 from three months earlier, suggesting that the companies that were on a hiring frenzy for several quarters have become cautious amid concerns of a slowdown in their biggest markets.Surveillance Measures in Place to Deal with Volatility in Specific Stocks: Sebi
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said Saturday it has observed an “unusual price movement in the stocks of a business conglomerate” in the past week, without specifically mentioning the Adani Group, and added that it has put in place “surveillance measures to address excessive volatility in specific stocks”.
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The chief executive of Moss Bros has said that the menswear retailer will be launching a “premium rental service”, as it bids to turn around its flagging hire business.
Moss Bros boss Brian Brick told Retail Week that the new premium rental service would be launched in the fourth quarter of the year and would allow customers to rent products from the wider retail range.
“One change that is exciting is that we’re doing to be doing a trial of a new, premium rental service which will customers to come in and, if they like something they see in retail, they’ll be able to rent it from us,” said Brick.
“We’re very excited by that. We think the rental space – if you look at Uber, Airbnb – we see it as a great opportunity. It’ll give the customer a big opportunity – the garment will always be new, and the customer will pay a premium price.”
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Central to its sustainability approach is its commitment, announced a year ago, to source all of its electricity from renewable sources.
There have been other environmental moves, of course, like the decision to stop using plastic rings on the six-packs of beer it sells, but the energy matter is the big one.
It was announced last year, when CUB signed a 12-year power purchase agreement with a German renewable energy developer to build a 112MW solar farm with the capacity to power 65,000 homes. It recently came online.
'If we want to be around for another 180 years, we need to create a sustainable business'
Covering 664 acres on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, in Karadoc, near Mildura, CUB has described the facility as a “major step forward in Australia’s renewable transition” while stressing its contribution to the local economy after 300 jobs were created to construct it.
Its 330,000 photovoltaic cells convert Australia’s abundant sunlight into green power. Under the dozen-year deal with BayWa r.e. Solar Projects, CUB will be supplied with 74,000 MWh per year of electric power. This takes the brewer a step closer to its goal of sourcing all of its electricity from renewable energy.
“This is a major step towards us achieving the ambitious target we set ourselves to have 100% of our purchased electricity sourced from renewables by 2025, a goal we are confident of achieving well before then,” CUB’s sustainability manger, Kirsten Sturzaker, said at the ribbon-cutting on February 28.
She went on to voice the brewery’s new favourite mantra, that “we have a history stretching back 180 years, but if we want to be around for another 180 years, we need to create a sustainable world and a sustainable business”.
In addition, the solar farm will reduce CUB’s power costs and secure its energy supply for the long-term in a sustainable way.
The brewer and BayWa r.e. are currently working on the next 106 MW plant at a nearby Sunraysia location.
“Karadoc was delivered on time and on budget in under 12 months and made a major contribution to the local economy. The power supplied to CUB and Flow Power is now helping Australian business transition to renewables,” said Benedikt Ortmann, managing director of BayWa r.e..
Onsite solar generation
Peter Filipovic, chief executive of CUB, said in addition to the Karadoc plant, the brewery is also moving towards onsite solar generation, which will see solar panels on the roofs at each of our breweries.
“Everyone has a responsibility to play their part to tackle climate change. CUB is no different. We are absolutely committed to delivering on an ambitious environmental and sustainability agenda,” said Filipovic, who took the top role at the brewery in January.
“The investment also stacks up when you look at the reduced price we will be paying to power our operations. Moving to renewable energy will ensure that we have certainty of supply and pricing.”
The high-volume brewing industry is highly energy intensive, requiring a number of processes that require large amounts of electricity. Over the last 30 years, Australian brewers have been involved in a number of different energy management and sustainability programmes, though critics claim their efforts have not been sufficient.
In addition to its fully sustainable electricity ambitions, CUB has committed to going either completely plastic-free or using recycled plastic by 2025. In addition, it is aiming for 100% of its products to be in packaging that is returnable or made from majority-recycled content by 2025.
To this end, the firm’s Cascade Brewery in Tasmania discontinued plastic six-pack ring packaging on cans last August, while last week it announced its VB and Carlton Draft-manufacturing Abbotsford brewery would no longer use plastic six-pack rings on cans, in favour of new cardboard packaging, saving more than 25m of them from entering the environment each year. In coming weeks, the brewer will take 137 tonnes of plain shrink wrap out of the system.
After voicing the usual 180-years past, 180-years ahead mantra, CEO Filipovic added: “We’ve sourced and tested new packaging, installed new equipment, and now the new packaging is running off the canning line.”
Of course, CUB’s approach closely mirrors its parent, AB InBev’s sustainability goals. And following it guarantees it an updated narrative about the origins of a pot or schooner of lager.
More than anything though, this green bug appears to be providing an opportunity to talk to a new generation of more environmentally interested consumers at a time when Millennials are fast getting a taste for craft beers.


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Quance Plaza in Regina, Saskatchewan, will continue to have long-term retail commitment as ReDev Properties Inc. (ReDev) recently secured seven key lease renewals.
ReDev has been invested in the Saskatchewan market for several years, with Quance Plaza as one of the company’s key holdings.
Currently, 90 per cent of the plaza’s leasable square footage is occupied by major brand tenants. The plaza is situated in one of Regina’s most dominate retail corridors on Victoria Avenue East.
Recent lease renewal contracts in the plaza include, Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Quance Liquor Store, M & M Meats, Boston Pizza, Staples, Kal Tire, Mr. Lube, Chuck E. Cheese’s and Subway Restaurant.
“Lease renewals signify a solid foundation for ensuring assets are stabilized for continuing long-term investment success,” said Richard Crenian, president of ReDev Properties. “Quance Plaza is well located and tenanted, with excellent potential for continued growth.”
ReDev sold-off four other properties this year and continues to manage the reconstruction of Kensington Crossing, a shopping plaza located in Edmonton. ReDev says that lease renewals on existing national tenants will continue to be a priority moving into the second half of the year.


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It was not that long ago that popular toy chain Toys ‘R’ Us announced it was filing for bankruptcy. That was a disappointing day for many, of course; but it looks like things are turning around. This week, Toys ‘R’ Us revealed its triumphant return to the United States retail world, with its first new store.
Children—accompanied by their parents, of course—can visit the revamped toy-buying experience at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. At this new outlet, shoppers will encounter a reading space, a movie theatre, and even an in-store treehouse (complete with doorbell).
Of course, you famous Toys ‘R’ Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe presided over the ceremonial ribbon cutting for the grand opening, Wednesday morning, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
If you were not aware, Toys ‘R’ Us’ parent company is Tru Kids, and they have been quite hard at work redesigning and adapting the store for the modern family. Instead of shelves crammed full of as many toys as will fit, brands can now “design custom experiences and branded shops to help them create memorable experiences for parents and children,” according to Tru Kids.
Now, this experience-focused initiative certainly means the store will have fewer toys available to purchase in the store. That is a new direction, for sure, but the company hopes that the experiences will encourage parents to use in-store technology to order toys from the online stock.
Tru Kids president and CEO Richard Barry comments, “This store has about 1,500 items, but through the technology in the store, you can buy over 15,000 items today.”
In a previous statement, Barry had said, “We know that customers love shopping as a means of entertainment. That’s something built into the DNA of human beings. We also know kids and families are looking for things to do on the weekends or when school’s out. We know parents and families really value play and the value of toys overall. As we thought about the strategy, we wanted to put all those things together.”


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If you’ve read reports about the recent zero day vulnerability (CVE-2016-0728) that allows Android or Linux applications to escalate privileges and gain root access to the device you may have concerns about its impact on your XenMobile deployment. However, we would like to reassure Citrix customers that, although XenMobile Server runs on a Linux platform, it does not contain the vulnerable code.
For Android, Google has published a security blog describing the vulnerability as impacting a limited number of Android version 4.4-based devices. Google has already issued a patch for this issue which should be available soon from device manufacturers.
Although customers using XenMobile may be supporting a small subset of impacted Android 4.4-based devices in their user base, the XenMobile MDX container and Secure/Shared Vault reduces the risks posed by this vulnerability to customer data-at-rest with additional encryption over and above any encryption made by the device.
Find out why industry analysts give XenMobile the highest marks for security with the XenMobile Security Whitepaper


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It’s part of an overall push for DoorDash to grow beyond its restaurant-focused beginnings. In late October, DoorDash added Tractor Supply to its app, its entry into the agriculture category. And in September, it added Dick’s Sporting Goods as its first sporting partner.
“We’re seeing this convenience trend growing across all different verticals, and we’re seeing demand for the beauty category,” said Shanna Prevé, Vice President of Partnerships at DoorDash,
The expansion comes as competitor Instacart, which built its brand on grocery delivery, is also expanding into non-food categories like furniture and appliances. And overall, consumers are showing increased interest in fast delivery: Research firm Technavio found in October that same-day delivery market share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.4% through 2026, supported by the ubiquity and convenience of smartphones.
Prevé said she anticipates Sephora’s orders could come from people looking to restock quickly after they’ve sold out of an item, people who are traveling, or people who want to send a unique gift.
“It was always part of the plan,” she said of the expansion. “We want any item that can be purchased in your local community to be available at your doorstep within minutes. Not hours, not two days from now.
The company began diversifying its offerings beyond restaurants about four years ago, Prevé said. This included a move into grocery in August 2020, as well as specialty retail outlets like Office Depot in March and Bed, Bath and Beyond last fall.
As of December 2021, approximately 14% of DoorDash’s 25 million customers are purchasing the new non-restaurant categories.
“New verticals are growing faster than even our core business,” she said. “So we’re investing a lot there and we’re seeing great results with our consumers.”
Amit Kalley, CEO of e-commerce platform Infosys Equinox, said consumers expect fast and efficient delivery, especially since the pandemic. The boom in online shopping has allowed many customers to have items delivered the same day, or at least within two days.
“There has been a fundamental shift in consumer behavior towards digital,” he said. “What this ultimately means is that consumers not only expect, but demand that they get the same experience, the same convenience, the same level of service, that they are used to as when they are in-store. .”
For DoorDash, this means an opportunity to attract new customers. During its third quarter earnings call last week, CFO Prabir Adarkar said DoorDash is expanding into new categories as they add scale to the business. In particular, they attract new customers who are not currently using DoorDash for restaurants.
“Now they can use it to get flowers or get their convenience items or get their groceries or get alcohol delivered,” he said. “And so an increasing number of our new customers are now coming to DoorDash to try out these new categories, and that’s going to unlock the next stage of growth as we continue to increase our penetration of the US population.”
DoorDash also offers DashPass, its $9.99 per month membership plan that waives shipping costs and offers special offers like coupons and credits.
Jan Soerenson, North American general manager of e-commerce services platform Nest, told Modern Retail that apps like DoorDash could diversify more now ahead of a possible downturn. This will help them match supply with demand, especially if consumers avoid expensive restaurant orders.
“Given a possible looming recession, I think many delivery apps today want to avoid the situation that Uber faced after Covid when it had to rapidly increase the number of drivers and was unable to do it when the demand comes back,” Soerenson said. “Better to occupy the supply side.”
The Sephora draw
DoorDash soft launched Sephora deliveries in mid-October. Prevé did not share order numbers, but said early demand appears strong. Top sellers include cult favorites like The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid, Beauty Blenders, Olaplex hair products and Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lipstick.
For Sephora, switching to DoorDash could mean more customer acquisition. On the DoorDash marketplace, customers looking for any of the 340 beauty brands offered by Sephora may end up placing an order.
“I think that’s one of the reasons a lot of retail partners are excited to get started on DoorDash is that they’re fundamentally tapping into a different set of consumers,” Prevé said.
A Sephora spokesperson declined to share the number of same-day orders it is currently receiving or the share of customers using same-day delivery services. But the retailer added an increasing number of options. In September 2020, it partnered with Instacart, and in November 2021, it launched its own same-day delivery service. It was added to the Shipt marketplace in March 2022 and this fall announced a $49 annual subscription for unlimited same-day shipping.
Nadine Graham, vice president and general manager of e-commerce for Sephora, said in a press release that the partnership with DoorDash is “a natural next step in the continued evolution of ease and convenience” for consumers.
Infosys Equinox’s Kalley said that for retailers, partnering with apps like DoorDash can help solve last-mile delivery issues, which can be costly or time-consuming for large retailers to map across the country. And whether it’s with an app, internal logistics plans, or a combination, he predicts more retailers will find ways to understand same-day shipping from outlets to address logistics cost pressures. .
“Every retailer is on the verge of adopting it,” he said.


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The new device continues Sony’s aim to improve its smartphone line-up, and is the first mainstream such device to feature a 21-megapixel camera.
Running Android 4.2, the Z1 was announced by Sony at the IFA electronics fair in Berlin and is expected to be picked up by a range of major carriers in the UK, including EE who will offer their ‘double-speed’ 4G service on the device for £41 per month plus £29.99 up front. It also features a 3,000mAh battery and 14GB of internal memory, with a quad core 2.2GHz processor.
Customers signing up with EE will also receive the Sony Smart Watch 2 free, as Sony moved to pre-empt Samsung’s likely announcement later this evening of a smart watch of its own.
Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices at EE, claimed “The Xperia Z1 truly is the latest in mobile technology, designed to give customers the ultimate smartphone experience.” Sources at the network said that it considered Sony’s forthcoming products were likely to find increasing popularity with consumers.
The Japanese electronics company also announced the QX10 and QX100 lenses, which the company claims is “a brand new concept in digital imaging, turning your smartphone into a power-packed specialist camera”. They will retail for £189 and £399 respectively.
Connecting to smartphone via Bluetooth, the new lenses can either be mounted on any phone itself or used separately. Taking advantage of the processing power of modern smartphones, the products add the sort of optics that it is not currently possible to build directly into a phone, and use Sony Android or iOS apps as a camera interface. The devices will also feature NFC to pair to smartphone and a memory card slot for storage.
The QX10 will feature a 1/2.3-inch 18-megapixel sensor and an f/3.3-5.9 lens, while the QX100 includes a 1-inch 20.2-megapixel Exmor R sensor and a f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss lens. Sony's WX150 camera and the QX100 is based the RX100M2, which retail in the UUK for around £150 and £550 respectively.
Sony’s Berlin press conference also saw the announcement of an ultra high-definition camcorder, the FDR-AX1E, which is expected to retail for £3,800, a soundbar that Sony claims is the world’s thinnest and a range of new multifunctional PCs.
Compare the best mobile phone deals with The Telegraph Mobile Comparison


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AT&T and DirecTV executives told tales of changing times, fast-advancing technologies and underserved Americans in rural areas, as they presented their case for a proposed merger before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law June 24.
After the morning’s hearing with the House (which all testimony that follows is from), the merger candidates moved on to an afternoon date with the Senate.
Joining AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson and DirecTV Chairman and CEO Michael White on the House’s witness list were Ross Lieberman, senior vice president of Government Affairs at the American Cable Association, and John Bergmayer, senior staff attorney with consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.
Both White and Stephenson argued that together their companies will do “what neither company can do on its own.” They’ll offer competitive bundles of services that enable consumers to “watch more of what they want, when they want and where they want”; provide new or faster broadband to at least 15 million consumers, most of them in rural areas; and compete more effectively with cable bundles by creating a “new and unique alternative,” said White, who also highlighted a faltering DirecTV.
Because the pay-TV provider currently isn’t great at bundling, White explained—even showing screengrabs of competitors’ ads highlighting DirecTV’s inability to offer a “really good Internet package”—subscriber growth has slowed in recent years. While it has tried to address its shortcomings via partnerships, including a partnership with AT&T, such arrangements ultimately make for a bad customer experience, said White, since they’re more expensive, installation is difficult and customer support is two-pronged, instead of unified.
Stephenson testified that AT&T and DirecTV have few overlapping pay-TV markets and so very little competition would be lost. Consumers would gain, instead, a “new competitor with unprecedented capabilities.” Plus, he continued, “the substantial cost savings and other synergies associated with the transaction will allow us to price all of our services more competitively, which will drive cable and other competitors to lower their prices and improve their own offerings.”
The transaction would allow AT&T to lower content costs to video subscribers by at least 20 percent and create cost synergies in excess of $1.6 billion annually within three years. “These transformative effects,” continued Stephenson, “will dramatically improve the economic case to invest in new broadband infrastructure to millions of customer locations.”
Customers in rural locations will particularly benefit from the merger, said Stephenson, promising to build and enhance high-speed broadband service “to at least 15 million customer locations, most of them rural, within four years of the transaction closing.”
Further, AT&T will bring broadband Internet access to 13 million customers in rural areas in 48 states.
“Rural customers will be able to purchase this new broadband service, DirecTV and IP telephone service with advanced features and larger calling areas as an integrated package or, if they prefer, on a stand-alone basis,” said Stephenson. “We estimate that nearly 20 percent of these rural consumers today have no access to a high-speed wireline broadband service, and that another 27 percent are hostage to only one provider.”
Stephenson added, “This is big news for rural America.”
Public Knowledge’s Bergmayer worried that with so many pending mergers making headlines (Comcast/Time Warner Cable, a rumored Sprint/T-Mobile deal), “merger fatigue may be settling in.” As such, he welcomed scrutiny of whether each merger could significantly reduce competition and harm the public interest.
In the case at hand, AT&T has failed to prove that competition wouldn’t be harmed, or that the deal is in the public interest, Bergmayer argued. Further, he said, AT&T’s “record of following through on past public interest commitments gives good reason to be skeptical even of the limited claims it makes.”
AT&T, DirecTV Merger Hearings Underway at the House, Senate
Bergmayer pointed out that when AT&T introduced Project VIP in 2012, it promised to provide broadband service to 57 million customer locations and wireless broadband to 19 million additional customer locations.
“That’s a plan to serve 76 million customer locations with a broadband product—6 million more than it is promising to serve after [the DirecTV] deal,” said Bergmayer. “A commitment to serve 70 million customers with broadband cannot count as a merger-specific public interest benefit when AT&T already plans to serve 76 million.”
He also pointed out that AT&T plans to offer fixed wireless service—what it’s calling wireless local loop, or WLL—and that 85 percent of WLL locations are said to be outside of AT&T’s wireline footprint.
“Policymakers should ask whatever became of AT&T’s 2006 commitment to serve 100 percent of the population in its footprint with broadband (wired and wireless),” Bergmayer said in his testimony. “Why have these customers gone without AT&T broadband for so long, and why should we think that promises in this merger will turn out any different than past unmet merger promises?”
A Need for Review
The ACA’s Lieberman described his industry as being in the midst of “considerable consolidation” that will have “major ramifications for consumers and competition.”
Lieberman said that regulators and authorities at all levels need to analyze pending deals and address “harms they create, either through divestitures and behavioral remedies or outright denial.”
Moreover, he continued, “Congress should review existing rules and regulations to ensure that industrywide problems are addressed so the new market order does not harm consumers by hindering the ability of firms other than the merging parties to compete effectively.”
An AT&T/DirecTV merger will also increase the incentive of DirecTV-affiliated programmers to charge higher prices to their rivals, which include hundreds of small and medium-sized multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), said Lieberman.
These smaller MVPDs—which provide “triple play” bundles of video, broadband Internet and voice services, and compete against big companies like Comcast, DirecTV, Dish, TWC, AT&T, Verizon and Charter—are the ACA’s members.
AT&T has nearly 6 million TV subscribers, TWC has 11 million, Dish has 14 million and Comcast has 22 million. DirecTV, with its 20 million subscribers, might pay 20 percent less for content than AT&T does currently, said Lieberman. A merger, he explained, would solve AT&T’s programming costs issue, but leave smaller MVPDs in the pinch. Between 2008 and 2013, 1,078 small and rural cable systems were closed.
“Given the rise in programming costs, we are likely to see even more system closing in the coming years. Moreover, we’re also likely to see more small cable systems controlling costs by dropping programming, particularly independent programming,” said Lieberman.
Sports programming has become particularly out of the reach of smaller MVPDs; notably, the details of the merger allow AT&T to walk away from the deal if DirecTV fails to secure the rights to the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” programming.
Likely to Happen
While AT&T may be playing up a new commitment to rural consumers that can start some eyes rolling, it’s also committing to spending serious money.
“That’s real money they’re going to be putting behind that effort, and that means jobs and economic activity that wouldn’t otherwise have happened, or happened in the same time frame … so there’s strong incentive for the government to say yes to the promises that AT&T is making,” Technology Business Research Senior Analyst Chris Antlitz told eWEEK.
“When AT&T says they’ll get synergies and cost savings, they’re right. The question is, will the cost savings get passed on to consumers or go into AT&T’s coffers? Probably both,” Antlitz continued. “They need to provide a good offering to the consumer, or [regulators] aren’t going to buy it.”
That said, Antlitz estimates that there’s a “more than 50 percent chance” that the deal will be approved.
“The key thing to understand here is they’re going to be able to offer a very different thing across the country,” said Antlitz. “This is going to help AT&T transform itself into a leading, end-to-end provider of video services, rather than a dumb Internet pipe.”
What that means, too, is that other carriers will want to do the same thing by teaming up with a DirecTV equivalent: Dish Network.
“Something’s going to happen to Dish. The question is who, and when and how much,” said Antlitz. Given how stretched budgets are (Verizon’s Vodafone deal, for example, exhausted a good chunk of resources), such a deal may not come about through a merger.
With “not a lot of money floating around,” said Antlitz, “I think there’s a good possibility for a unique partnership.”


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BlackBerry Cuts Jobs
The latest announcement follows a 16.8 percent fall in March quarterly revenue at BlackBerry. The company didn’t say how many jobs would be affected, but in February it had about 6225 full-time staff.
BlackBerry said it is reallocating resources to capitalise on growth opportunities and achieve profitability.
The Canadian company also plans to buy back and cancel as many as 12 million shares, or 2.6 percent of its public float, to offset a new employee share purchase plan.


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Continuing its longstanding support of Feeding America, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will donate one meal to Feeding America for every order placed on DoorDash from The Cheesecake Factory and Grand Lux Cafe restaurants across the United States this September in recognition of Hunger Action Month.
One in six kids in America lives with hunger. This back-to-school season, millions of students will face the school day on an empty stomach because there is not enough to eat at home. To help with the efforts of ending childhood hunger across the country, On The Border teamed up with No Kid Hungry to raise funds to end childhood hunger.
Metro Diner, known for serious diner food, has teamed up with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to launch a round-up fundraising campaign at its 62 diners nationwide. Metro Diner, NPCF’s first national restaurant partner, is helping the charity create additional awareness during September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
From Our Hearts, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of FOH Inc, a Miami-based designer and manufacturer of commercial grade dinnerware, buffetware, and tabletop accessories, turned their efforts to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, where FOHers teamed up with Chef José Andres’ World Central Kitchen (WCK) and their new culinary school, Ecole des Chefs, where students master culinary career skills and graduate on to successful careers in the growing hospitality industry in Haiti.
Double Dogs Chow House and local brewery Braxton Brewing Company have joined forces to release Diddley Lager—an American Light Lager with a purpose. As part of this cause-related initiative, the brands will donate $20 per keg sold to local animal shelters.
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. announced it will offer its handcrafted non-alcoholic lemonades at just 25 cents in celebration of National Lemonade Day on Monday, August 20. All proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry, a national organization working to end childhood hunger.
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurants nationwide have teamed up with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to take a stand against childhood cancer in a month-long fundraising campaign. Now through August 12, more than 1,050 participating Applebee's restaurants aim to raise $1 million to help fund cutting-edge medical research.
Black Bear Diner, the fast-growing, family dining concept that offers a one-of-a-kind experience and home-style comfort food classics in a friendly, bear-themed atmosphere, announced a new philanthropic program to improve local coffee-growing communities in Nicaragua.
It was the summer of ‘68 in Gainesville, Florida, when Sonny Tillman fired up his smoker to open the first Sonny’s BBQ with a mission to spread Southern hospitality through BBQ. Fifty years later, this mission is still the same .
While it’s always easy to find fun brewing at Taco Mac, staff and guests raise the bar to new heights when the leader in craft beer is raising funds for Camp Twin Lakes. The iconic restaurant brand has given close to $750,000 to the camp over the last 20 years and continued the efforts this April with its Can Jam promotion.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is inviting communities nationwide to join them in the fight against childhood cancer by visiting their local Firebirds restaurant June 8-10 for a glass of refreshing, house-made lemonade.
DoorDash's company-wide Project DASH (DoorDash Acts for Sustainability and Hunger) initiative tackling the issues of hunger and food waste is on pace to donate six million meals to people facing hunger by the end of the year.
CORE—a nonprofit granting support to children of food and beverage service employees navigating life-alternating circumstances—will be celebrating 14 years of supporting families during their toughest times on May 25, 2018.
UNiDAYS, a leading Student Affinity Network, announced it has teamed with Bareburger, a healthy and fast casual restaurant chain that serves up a menu of organic burgers and other fare, free from GMOs and pesticides, to offer a college student incentive program in NYC.


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BENGALURU: Dating, not matrimony, seems to be the “in thing” in India, says Google
in a report based on an analysis of its search queries. There was a 40% growth in dating-related queries and searches in 2018, compared with 2017. Also, 37% more Indians took to Google to search for dating websites in the same period, compared with only 13% growth in searches for matrimony brands and websites.
Google did not provide absolute numbers, but it’s likely that ‘dating growth’ is over a smaller base than that of matrimony. Google’s insights bear out what a study of Bharat Matrimony showed this February — Indians in general are getting more mushy. As high as 92% of respondents in a survey of 6,000 Indians said that they were looking to find love.
The survey also said that 24% of Indians like to express love with words, 21% with a romantic dinner, 34% by gifting and 15% by planning a holiday. The survey also found a whopping 86% wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day even after marriage. The Google survey found that search queries for food more than doubled in 2018, a result likely of Swiggy, Zomato
and other delivery brands growing strongly.
The top searched item in this category was “pizza” and not, as some expected, “biryani”. From science, hobby, cooking to beauty tips, YouTube
video searches tripled in 2018. Google India said social media has become a very important tool guiding buying decisions. As high as 79% internet surfers said they check YouTube videos before deciding on a new car model. 81% users see credibility in the independent auto review videos posted online. Read this story in Bengali


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channelnewsasia– The shelves of the three-storey workshop in a Jakarta suburb were packed with colourful tote bags and laptop bags.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that they were actually made from discarded detergent packaging and used billboard materials.
Near the shop’s entrance were burlap sacks from a coffee bean importer, waiting to be cut to size and sewn into shopping bags. Inside the workshop, workers stuffed transparent plastic cushions with shredded multi-layered plastics which are notoriously hard to recycle.
For the last 16 years, XSProject has been upcycling waste into chic and colourful fashion items that have attracted international clientele and members of Jakarta’s expatriate community. It produces more than 3,000 items a month, finding new life for waste that would otherwise head to the landfills.
XSProject general manager Retno Hapsari said the company began as a community empowerment programme for a foundation of the same name. It was founded by an American expatriate named Ann Wizer in 2004.
“We were looking for ways to reduce trash and help impoverished trash pickers,” the 58-year-old told CNA.
“There was waste like multi-layered packaging which they couldn’t sell to recycling plants. We told them to bring this packaging to us. We cleaned them and made products with these materials. This way, we hope to reduce these types of waste and provide the trash pickers with additional income.”
XSProject’s first line of products featured colourful tote bags made from discarded soap and detergent packaging.
“We keep thinking about what other types of waste are out there. We are not limiting ourselves to a specific type of trash,” she said.
Today, XSProject has numerous lines of products made from a wide range of materials which would otherwise end up in the trash cans and polluting the environment.
They even do custom orders like guitar cases and golf bags.
EMPOWERING THE IMPOVERISHED
Hapsari said that she is merely a marketer and a spokesperson at XSProject and insisted that the creative brains behind the products are the seven workers employed by the company.
“Some of our workers were trash pickers or have trash picker fathers and mothers,” she said. “Some of them couldn’t read when they joined. We paid for their education. We gave them new skills by enrolling them into sewing courses.
“Now, they can simply look at a material and know what the end product will look like. They are the ones mixing the colours, mixing the materials and coming up with the designs.”
And the designs proved to be a hit with XSProject’s customers.
“We get suggestions and ideas from customers on what we should be producing next. It’s important to listen to them,” she said.
XSProject now produces everything from face masks, coasters, aprons to baskets, purses and bags. It also attracted the attention of resellers and bulk buyers in countries like Singapore and Australia.
The company is now working with freelance tailors to meet with the growing demands and improve the tailors’ livelihoods.
XSProject now earns between US$35,000 and US$70,000 a month, profits of which go back to the foundation which provides donations and pays for the education of trash pickers and their families.
After 15 years of being a mere programme of a foundation, XSProject became a business enterprise in 2019.
Around 85,000 tonnes of plastic in Indonesia are dumped into the environment each year, according to government figures, making the country the second worst plastic polluters in the world after China.
The logos of the brands responsible for these waste are featured prominently in some of XSProject’s products to put pressure on the companies to start thinking about alternative ways to package and sell their products.
“I will be happy if one day there will be no more waste to upcycle into a product. It means our work here is done,” she said.
Hapsari said she also wants to inspire others to start upcycling the waste they see around them.
“We are not the first to upcycle waste. But many of these ventures fail because they don’t have a viable business plan. They don’t know how to market their products,” she said.
XSProject was successful because it has access to the expatriate community in Jakarta, thanks to its founder. “Ninety-five per cent of people who buy our products are expats, because they are the ones who care most about our mission,” Hapsari said.
But Hapsari hoped that this would eventually change. XSProject is working with schools to teach students about the importance of reducing and recycling waste so the future generations would come to appreciate what the company is doing.
“The students also help sell the products and proceeds of which go to the foundation,” she said. “One school even provided their students with laptop bags bought from us. Therefore, the students become aware that we can breathe new life into the things we throw away and take for granted.”
“I realised that what we are doing is a drop in the ocean. But we have to do something about our waste problem. We have to start somewhere. If we all do our bit, we can do a lot,” she said.


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Eminem buys into Bored Ape Yacht Club with $450,000 NFT
Celebrities have been quickly entering the NFT space, with the likes of CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club being among the top contenders. The latest star to join the community was Marshall Mathers, AKA – Eminem / Slim Shady.
Referred to unofficially as ‘EminApe’, the NFT managed to sell for approximately 123.45 ETH, at the time – $452,000.
One of those most blown away by the news was fellow BAYS member, @Gee__Gazza, who felt a strong sense of disbelief at having the illustrious rapper buy his NFT. @Gee_Gazza having not taken some credit at the passive selling he did back in November (jokes).
Eminem, like other celebrities, also took the time to add it as his profile picture.
Along with making the purchase, it only represents the most expensive one within his already growing collection. On OpenSea, for example, he has accrued 15 NFTs so far, listed under ‘Shady_Holdings‘.
For BAYS, in particular, its another ringing endorsement from the celebrity community, and distance taken ahead of CryptoPunks, the latter of which it outpaced in December. This change of leaders for top NFT marketplace did come off the back of some copyright licensing issues that CryptoPunks faced, along with a slowdown in its trading activity.
Bored Ape Yacht Club, by contrast, has surpassed CryptoPunks in overall floor price, and become the second-largest NFT project on OpenSea. We also reported, not too long ago, that BAYS had previously partnered up with Animoca Brands.


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Richard Hardie Group has said that “subdued retail confidence”, traffic disruption and the FCA Group's poor 2018 sales performance were to blame for a second consecutive year of pre-tax losses.
Vertu Motors has bought more Honda dealerships to become the brand's biggest UK retail partner.
Springfield Motor Group has posted a 43% increase in profits a year into its five year improvement plan.
Springfield Motor Group has pulled back from a deal to sell its seven franchised dealerships to Peter Vardy.
North east retailer Springfield Motor Group has launched a new website in a bid to improve access to its products and services.
Springfield Motor Group has launched a new scheme to identify managers of the future.
Automotive Management Live: Where franchised and independent dealers will find everything they need to know about operating a modern showroom and service and repair facility fit for the digital age.
When: November 12 2020
Where: Birmingham NEC
Find out what features are in this month's, and future, issues


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Walmart corporate officials announced Friday that the company will limit the number of customers in its store at any one time starting Saturday, April 4.
“Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time,” Walmart’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said in a statement posted to the corporate website. “While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people. We want to encourage customers to bring the fewest number of people per family necessary to shop, allow for space with other customers while shopping, and practice social distancing while waiting in lines.”
To manage customer entry, store workers will staff a single entry point and direct customers to line up for admission into the store. Once the store is at capacity, new customers will be let in on a “one in, one out” basis, according to the statement.
“Once customers check out, they will be directed to exit through a different door than they entered, which should help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other,” Smith added.
Some stores will also change traffic in their aisles to one way only to further limit person-to-person contact.
Walmart is also sending infrared thermometers to its stores and distribution centers over the next three weeks so staff can start taking employees’ temperature when they show up for work, corporate leaders announced earlier this week.
Employees who register a temperature of at least 100 degrees “will be paid for reporting to work and asked to return home and seek medical treatment if necessary,” according to this week's statement from Walmart President and CEO John Furner and Sam’s Club President and CEO Kath McLay. Employees who have to go home won’t be allowed to return to work until they’ve had no fever for at least three days.
The corporation is also sending masks, which are expected to arrive in a week or two and will be available as supplies permit for any employees who want to wear them, according to the statement. Gloves will also be available.
Walmart announced March 18 that its hours are changing to be open 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. That announcement indicated workers would still “have access to their regular scheduled shifts and full hours.”
Stores also implemented special shopping hours one hour before opening on Tuesdays through April 28 for customers ages 60 and up, who are considered more vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Walmart operates two supercenters in Parker County: one off South Main Street in Weatherford and the other off of East I-20 in Hudson Oaks.


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HISWA Holland Marine says growth was led by boat rentals over the summer period
Citing a long hot summer, HISWA Holland Marine says the Dutch boating sector’s 2018 turnover rose by 4.8% over the previous year. Rentals led the pack with a 10% turnover rise, followed by 7% growth for new-boat sales.
A recent survey by the Dutch trade lobby found most of its 800 member companies to be upbeat about 2019.
HISWA director Geert Dijks says: “In 2018, the long-awaited growth in boat rentals really took off and active watersports – like SUPing and kite surfing – gained popularity.”
HISWA’s ‘grow boating’ campaign – part of a global effort to offset the greying of sailors and deal with shifting holidaying patterns – “will bring more people out on the water in the years ahead,” says Dijks.
Such is the impact of demographics and new ways of holidaying that HISWA will merge in 2019 with the Netherlands’ overall tourism industry lobby so it can cast its net wider.
The boating sector’s positive results of 2018 contrast with 2017 when Dutch marinas, boatbuilders and service companies saw turnover slip. By now, marina occupancy rates have stabilised and most HISWA members “are optimistic about 2019,” says Dijks. “Three quarters even expect a repeat of 2018 or better.”
HISWA also reports that:
- Good times put the labour market under pressure, making it tough to find skilled personnel
- Many HISWA members use the good times to embrace innovation to preserve or grow market share
- Pre-owned craft are selling faster, keeping prices stable. Brokers say sales of moderately maintained pre-owned vessels are not easy to complete


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Mamonde recently opened its sixth beauty counter at Parkson KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, where it unveiled its new retail space.
The beauty counter is a reflection of its latest brand concept - “Journey Of Flowers”. It debuted earlier this year when Mamonde’s flagship store in Myeong-dong in Seoul received a facelift with a fresh interior design.
This look aims to improve the customers’ experience when visiting the boutiques or beauty counters.
“Journey Of Flowers is a new concept that all Mamonde sales outlets globally will adopt. Malaysia is the third country after South Korea and Singapore to have it.
“We hope customers who visit our new counters will be inspired by the flowers which the brand advocates, and we are aiming for a greater acceptance of the brand,” said Celine Diong, Brand GM of Mamonde Malaysia, in a press statement.
The interior also features an illustration of the pressed-flower pattern created in collaboration with Rachel Pedder-Smith, an illustration painting company.
Check out exclusive gifts in conjunction with the opening and also two new products, the Flower Pop Eye Brick and Flower Pop Blusher.